Set up Dyna S with static timing...no start?

[supergrafx]

Something doesn’t seem right; the test light should not be on all the time, rather it should come on when the F mark aligns, or the F-advance mark aligns if you are holding the rotor against the springs to simulate full advance.

Did you hook up your test light like the Dyna instructions direct?

I missed this from the directions. I originally just set it at the F-Advance mark without holding the rotor against the springs with my hand to simulate the full advance while it was at the F mark. I did however set it to have the light come on at the F mark, not the F-advance mark, previously, thinking this was incorrect, but it did not fire up either. I re-read your remarks and realized my error about turning the rotor with my hand to simulate the f advance while the f advance mark aligned with the backer plate line and it seemed to be trying to start, as long as I kept pressing in the start button on kill switch dongle, but still no go. I set 1-4 and 2-3 accordingly but nothing. I don't understand how those old points started the bike but the dyna-s is having problems. Before installing, like I said before, I made sure the bike could start. However, something else is going on with my bike since I needed full choke and there is consistant bogging. I guess I should be checking for spark. I've searched the web for laying a plug on the engine case to watch for spark like you suggested but can't find anything. Just found those spark plug testers things that attach between the coil and the plug to illuminate spark. I've been dead broke so although those seem to be pretty cheap, I've been unable to get them, at least until this coming friday. Should I do the coil relay mod? I'm no expert like you guys, but I would think that if the voltage was enough before to give the plugs enough spark to fire up with points, the dyna s, although the coil relay mod might be a great thing to do at some point, wouldn't need it just to get it started? Also, my engine supposably has around 8,000 or so miles, at least that is what the PO told me, who seems to be not the most trustworthy rich kid blah blah blah. I am sure that valve clearances have never been checked. What should I do next? As many of you know, I had the carbs rebuilt half-arsed by someone and am sure I need to go through them again, it's just common sense tells me to fix this first, I mean, get it started since I was able to start before before working from the ground up. I so need to conquor this.

[ryonker]

I just set up my dyna S last week. I hooked up the black and with wires into the harness. Then I did the splice into my orange and white wire that powers the coil. I was excited, tried starting it, and nothing.

I though I did everything right. Checked everything like you, tried again and nothing .

Then I wondered about the splice. I took it apart and saw that the lightly metal doohickey that pushes down into both wires DID NOT actually pierce the red wire going back to the dyna S ! So I took some plies and really reamed it down and pushed the plastic clip back down.

She started right up then !

My splice was bad.

Hope this helps!

Rick

[supergrafx]

I just set up my dyna S last week. I hooked up the black and with wires into the harness. Then I did the splice into my orange and white wire that powers the coil. I was excited, tried starting it, and nothing.

I though I did everything right. Checked everything like you, tried again and nothing .

Then I wondered about the splice. I took it apart and saw that the lightly metal doohickey that pushes down into both wires DID NOT actually pierce the red wire going back to the dyna S ! So I took some plies and really reamed it down and pushed the plastic clip back down.

She started right up then !

My splice was bad.

Hope this helps!

Rick

Hey Rick,
Thanks for replying. I didn't end up using the splice that came with the kit. I just tinned the copper ends and used spade connectors. I'm at work, but let me see, this is how I did it I think: I spliced into switched orange 12v rear brake light and perhaps twined the orange/white wire from the coils with the red wire leading back to the dyna s and tinned them as well. Then I crimped the spade onto the switched 12v and crimped the now twined red and orange/white. I decided to crimp instead thinking that I would use dielectric grease and liquid tape to seal the thing off from moisture. I guess I could have done the same thing with the provided splicer, but thought it would be the same.

[chef1366]

Does it start when you apply the rear brake?

[supergrafx]

Does it start when you apply the rear brake?

Haven't tried that yet. Would that be beneficial since the power is switched and may only come on if I press in the brake to activate the switched power? Battery is dead right now and it's raining outside. I'll pull the battery out and recharge it inside the house and try that in the morning. I also thought I read somewhere on some post here, that someone said something like hold in the clutch might be mandatory to start up with a dyna-s. Maybe it was a dream but that's what I remember for some reason. I haven't tried that either. I have been trying to start the bike in neutral btw. Probably redundant to post this, but I've also primed the bowls a couple of times for 3-4 seconds before pressing start.

[chef1366]

Red wire from the dyna should tie into the old wire that powered the points. The other two go directly to the coils.

[supergrafx]

Red wire from the dyna should tie into the old wire that powered the points. The other two go directly to the coils.

I must have done something wrong. In about 20-30 minutes, I'm getting a ride back to the house (still at work). I'm going to take the tank off and see just what I did. Chef, I'll take pics of where I spliced and report back asap tomorrow. If it is too dark out, I'll set my alarm and wake up extra early to see.

[chef1366]

http://www.dynaonline.com/skins/downloads/instruct/DS3-1_3-2.pdf

[Dead Boy]

Just put my Dyna in my 77 750 on Saturday. Started up first kick.

Seems to me from your pics that your setting the timing to the line on the right of the F on 1-4. You need to set it to the line on the left. Line that up with the indicator. You then loosen the three screws that hold the large rotor in place and rotate it until the test light comes on. Tighten it back down and turn the motor to the line to the left of the F for 2-3. Move your test light to the coil wire for 2-3. You then should have a light. If you don't, you need to loosen the two cap screws that hold the right module down and move it until the light comes on. After that you should be good.

You won't be able to start the bike if you set the timing to the marks onthe right hand side of the F for both coils.

[Nessism]

Hey Gabe,

Sounds like you understand how to time the unit now; set it for static timing with the 1-4 F mark aligned and without holding the rotor against the spring. Make sure the rotor is pointing to the left. When all is said and done, the screws should be pretty much centered in the slot of the Dyna S unit.

After you have this set, check spark. Put a known good plug in one of the spark plug caps and then lay the metal portion of the plug against the engine and turn the engine over. You should see spark. Check all the plugs like this to make sure there is not a problem with one of the coils or one of the spark plug caps.

If you have spark on all four plugs, and the timing is set as described, the engine should fire.

Good luck,

[supergrafx]

Hey Gabe,

Sounds like you understand how to time the unit now; set it for static timing with the 1-4 F mark aligned and without holding the rotor against the spring. Make sure the rotor is pointing to the left. When all is said and done, the screws should be pretty much centered in the slot of the Dyna S unit.

After you have this set, check spark. Put a known good plug in one of the spark plug caps and then lay the metal portion of the plug against the engine and turn the engine over. You should see spark. Check all the plugs like this to make sure there is not a problem with one of the coils or one of the spark plug caps.

If you have spark on all four plugs, and the timing is set as described, the engine should fire.

Good luck,

Ness, it has been confirmed. I have spark on all 4 plugs. Rick, who I met on the forums actually came over and tried to help get the bike running. But to no avail. Something I noticed when taking the tank off and on whenever fiddling with the system, was that if I hold the gas tank arced upwards at a 45 degree angle, gas will drizzle out the petcock. I don't know if this is normal and doing something to the vacuum in the petcock. Also, when I emptied the gas out of the tank, due to not wanting to keep the same gas in the tank, gas dripped out of the vacuum port, one drop about per 5 seconds. Once again, I don't know if this is normal considering the vacuum line was pulled off the vacuum intake while emptying the gas. The PO said he installed a new petcock and from what other users say on this site, should last about 29 years. I saw a vacuum pingle being sold. Wondering if this is superior to the stock vacuum OEM model? Back to the spark, never saw sparks before, but Rick said perhaps the spark was too little. Only thing though, it seemed to start up with the previous points although the bike wasn't idling like it should.

[chef1366]

You have spark. Are you getting fuel?
Is it possible you have the Dyna rotor off 180 degrees?

[supergrafx]

You have spark. Are you getting fuel?
Is it possible you have the Dyna rotor off 180 degrees?

Chef, I must be getting fuel since while Rick was over, after excessive cranking of the engine, fuel starting leaking out of the intake boots. I was scared at that point if I was in the process of flooding the engine. I am pretty sure the dyna rotor is not off 180 degrees since the magnet faces to the left while 1-4 is in the upwards/northern direction like the instructions show. The bike sounds like it wants to ignite but no cigar.

[chef1366]

Do you have compression?
Are all the plug wires correct?
Are you so off time that it won't start? Use F1-4 as the reference.

[supergrafx]

Do you have compression?
Are all the plug wires correct?
Are you so off time that it won't start? Use F1-4 as the reference.

Haven't checked compression yet chef. I don't have one of them compression guages yet but will def go get one. I also will check the voltage on coils next time I go out and get 3 of those watch batteries to power up the multimeter. When I check compression, this will tell me if my timing is out of sync, right.? I think a different axle was put on when the PO changed out the chain and maybe had more or less teeth. Having a longer/shorter chain may change or retard the factory timing? I have the static light timed at F1-4 and F2-3. That's where I set it to fire like Ed said too. This seemed to work better than starting from the full advance. After I set them both at the F marks, I double checked by rotating the engine the full advance marks on 1-4,2-3, simulated the rotor by twisting it to the right and light came on accordingly. Almost positive it is all good now. I'm thinking it must be the carbs. And I was wondering about the petcock too. I don't want to go throw money around on stuff that may not make a difference (coils, 185 dollar pingle petcock, ect..). Do you think I should just start with the valve clearance, then the carbs again, then the petcock if this doesn't help? Also, about the 180 degree off on the dyna rotor: the magnet would be facing right with the 1-4 of the advancer facing upwards if this were the case, right? I might have to call ya I guess. But it seems like I've done the basics and it should start, it appeared that way to Rick too. I'm thinking now either a weak spark and/or fuel/air problem.... But I want to do that compression test.